WASHINGTON — U.S. productivity grew at an even slower annual rate than previously thought in the final three months of last year.

Economists are hoping productivity growth will revive in 2014, reflecting a stronger economy.

Productivity grew at an annual rate of 1.8 percent in the October-to-December quarter, a slowdown from 3.5 percent productivity growth in the third quarter, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

The new estimate was lower than the 3.2 percent gain the government had previously reported. Unit labor costs dipped 0.1 percent, a smaller drop than the 1.6 percent drop previously estimated.

For the year, productivity increased a tiny 0.5 percent, continuing a weak trend seen over the past three years. Analysts are forecasting a rebound in productivity this year, helped by stronger economic growth.

Productivity is the amount of production per hour of labor. The downward revision for the fourth quarter reflected that output, as measured by the gross domestic product, was lowered from the government’s initial estimate.

The fourth-quarter growth rate for GDP, the nation’s total output of goods and services, was revised to 2.4 percent, down from the previous estimate of a 3.2 percent growth rate. With less output, productivity was revised lower.

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